I own and love this amazing camera, though seldom use it nowadays. But it's incredible light meter and analogue display has never been equaled. Take your spot readings and not only can you see your subjects dynamic range displayed but also the cameras chosen average exposure, so you can judge where this fits within your films limitations and adjust accordingly. And it's just like reading an analogue watch. It's instantly in your brain without any reading and interpreting of digital numbers. Also being able to use fill flash wide open in bright sunlight gave incredible results not matched even by leaf shutter cameras with slower sync. No other camera I've ever used became such an intuitive part of me that I could focus entirely on the compostion in the viewfinder. The best OM lenses are legendary
I thought that I would take a little time to explain the use of the camera's Spot Meter functions that were not explained very well in the video. The OM-4Ti uses OTF metering. OTF stands for Off The Film. What this means is that the meter is pointed backwards and that readings are taken from the light that is reflected off of the film plane. The standard meter reading in Manual exposure mode is a center-weighted averaged meter reading. You can manually set a shutter speed and aperture setting based on this reading. In Auto exposure mode, the camera's meter controls the shutter speed setting based on what aperture is set on the lens. The camera's electronics control the shutter speed setting in real time as the exposure is actually being made. You take a spot meter reading by pressing the "Spot" button on the top of the camera next to the shutter release. Taking a second (or more) readings result in the camera's electronics averaging the spot readings and calculating an averaged exposure value. Pressing the shutter release causes the spot readings to be "lost" from the camera's memory and you need to start the process all over again for the next exposure. In Auto mode, if you want to use spot metering but use the same exposure settings for a series of frames, you can use the spot function and then you press the "Memory" lever towards the camera's prism. The spot readings are then stored in the camera's memory and pressing the shutter release does not erase the stored exposure value. A stored spot reading is kept for about 60 minutes or can be erased by pressing the memory lever to "Clear".
MOPARGUY413 Thanks for taking the time. And, as mentioned before, please excuse that we got this a bit wrong and incomplete in the video. We’ve learned from it. :)
It's amazing how many reviews of this incredible camera do not actuially know that this is not a multi spot metering system and completely misunderstand the Hi-Light and Shadow buttons. I just had to leave a lengthy comment to correct one uploader on both these points. (not referring to this video creator though) This is the best camera I ever owned. Bought it brand new in late 80's with four lenses, powerwinder ans databack and the unbelievable T-32 flash. And my god it was absolutely brilliant. No doubt. Of all the cameras I had before this, OM-10, OM-20 and then later Canon EOS's, none of them were this good. When I got hit off my motorcycle years later this camera was over my shoulder. It got ruined.
Exactly. Thank you for saying this. The photos in the video could have been taken with any averaging meter camera. In fact, in several of them the shadows are completely blocked up - which the OM4 metering system avoids if used correctly. That’s the disadvantage modern photographers have always using “smart cameras” that do all the work for them (exposure, focusing). My Sony a7rii takes gorgeous pictures, but the weight, insane cost, and byzantine complexity make me long for my Olympuses.
I just discovered this channel, and I do own a champagne OM-4ti I bought in 1986. I still have it with a couple of lenses, but they all need to be sent for repairs. Furthermore, I remember an old Popular Photography magazine in the review section stating in their first sentence something like this: This camera has the most advanced exposure metering system of any camera, period. I still believe that statement holds true to this day.
You don't have to use the lever to take measurements. You just use the spot button. Memory is only needed when you want to take several photos with the exact same measurements.
There are a lot of film photography related youtube channels out there, but you guys are something special. Nowhere else do I get as inspired as here, and learn something. Plus the choice of music is just spot on! Thank you!
Max, I really enjoy your insightful videos. There are some terrible camera reviewers on RUclips, but yours are intelligent and beautifully filmed by Jules. You’ve inspired me to have my OM-4 serviced, just as you have with my OM-1. You’re starting to cost me a lot of money....! Thanks again. Iain
Really, a first class review gents. Excellent technical review of the camera. Excellent modelling. Excellent cinematography. Excellent soundtrack. Excellent editing. Well done!
As an OM4Ti owner, my dream camera was the OM3Ti , which represented Leica qualities of durability and precision. A camera that never lets you down. As the digital era arrived, dreams changed accordingly :-)
As always, another great video review. As an Olympus OM-1 shooter, whose OM-1 has served me for many years, I am now looking to upgrade to an OM-4 Ti. Your review has allowed me to decide it is a good option. Thanks.
Nice review. first class. I love the OM-4 (and ti). Worth noting is that you can easily disable the beeping. Lift and push the small switch/lever on the front of the camera in the opposite direction to the timer (so to the right) and this will silence the camera completely. No more annoying beeps. It does take a while to get used to the OM system (all controls on the lens), but it's for sure one of the finest (if not the finest) 135mm systems ever manufactured. I do think the standard focusing-screen a bit dark for any lenses slower than 2.8. The 2 series screens really help (but they cost quite a lot and are quite rare). Edit: Grammer/Spelling
Good to know! - I already found it hard to believe that they (especially Olympus) wouldn't give an option to turn it off. - I was thinking that if I'd ever get this camera I'd have to go in and destroy that. - Because my Minolta X-700 also has a feature like that and it indeed is very annoying. Not only to listen to, but it would probably turn a lot of heads. Especially because it's such an unusual sound nowadays, as it used to be in things like digital watches and the like. - People might think you have a movie-bomb! XD
I have the OM-4, not the Ti, and it works the same regarding the beep. On a side note: Just wish I could bring my OM-1n MD's dead metering back to life, but that's not the end of the world since OM-1 functions fully otherwise. Wonderful cameras both of them.
The OM4Ti is the best SLR for 35 mm Film Cameras, among all Japanese made Cameras, including Canon, Pentax & Nikon. Using the Flash F280 TTL System you can shoot at shutter speeds up to 1/2000 Second. It also has automatic exposure with aperture priority up to complete 120 Seconds, which is great for Night Photography but you need a professional Tripod. The Spot Metering system and average metering system are second to none and are really top professional, reading the light exposure off the film plane. Many Thanks for the nice review and assessment of this legendary camera made by Olympus.
Love the entire video, you guys did a really good job. I have several Olympus OM film cameras including the OM-4T (OM-4Ti in the rest of the world) but my favorite is the OM-2n. Both are aswesome cameras in their compact size and simplicity. Though I do agree with you that the 4Ti has a lot going on on the top plate compared to the OM-2n.
Wow! Probably the most insightful and in-depth camera review I’ve ever seen. Very engaging. Those acros shots nearly look medium format esque. Beautiful work as always. I’ve had various OM bodies, including the om-4, and must say they are an absolute treat to shoot. And as you said, the lenses are truly wonderful pieces of glass! Thanks for the review buddy
If you guys could choose one camera body keeping in mind that it should be versatile , have great lenses, not too expensive, compact, not battery dependent, good construction. What would it be. Thanks
For me I never ventured beyond the OM-2, I now just have a couple of OM-1 bodies and a selection of primes. I never saw the need to go beyond what the OM-1 offered. I do have a couple of zoom lenses, however they make better a paperweight than they do images. The primaries, however, a totally different story, sublime then and sublime now. The zooms being possibly the only weakness of the system. I agree with you observation on the build quality of the lenses, the quality of the slower lenses matching that of the faster glass. The 135mm is possibly my favourite of all the OM glass, the sides are also fun.As I have said before, the OM system is both aesthetically beautiful and superbly manufactured. A design classic that still looks good all these years later.
Thanks for your elaborate comment. I (Max) completely agree with your assessment of the OM system. I also really enjoyed using the OM-1 and love the design of build quality of these cameras. :)
Most of the Zuiko zooms were not very good. One exception was the 35-80mm f2.8 ED zoom that was introduced very late in the OM system (I believe in the late 1990's).
@@MOPARGUY413 That 35-80 F2.8 is quite rare and still VERY expensive. I believe it was astounding and I hoped to have one. Obsolete now, like the brilliant Zuiko 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0 Digital. My 75-150mm, 35-70mm F4 were useless compared to a 1960 75mm F3.5 on a Rolleiflex or the Zuiko135mm F2.8
Let me congratulate you on your review. As an old user of the OM system, I quickly fell in love with it, since my first camera was an OM-10. Sometime later I bought an OM2S and years after an OM-4 Ti. I also have a wide selection of lenses (28/2.8, 35/2, 50/1.4, 50/3.5 Macro, 85/2, 135/2.8, 200/4). I completely agree with you when you praised the Zuiko lenses because I love all of them. There are compact and light and I use them very often with my Sony 𝛂7 and I'm very happy with the results.
My OM 4 died weeks after purchase due to rain. I have a OM 4t that has held up for years. The Ti version is on the list of wants. But my 4T is fine and still works well. It convinced me to come back to Olympus OMD E mk II, Pen f and TG 6. All doing a great job.
OM-4 Ti and OM-4 T are the same. OM4-T was the designation for the USA market, and OM4-Ti is the model for the rest of the world. So, I wouldn't go for a 4Ti if you (like me) have an OM4-T
These videos keep me from selling my old gear on eBay. They are very classy, like visiting a museum and viewing some of the classic paintings and sculptures...
Great video, im using an OM-3 which is kinda similar to an om4 TI, and i found this video because I'm looking for buying an OM4 ti and its definitely the best one I've found! Especially when you talk about the different lenses, it helps me a lot! Thank you very much!
I very much appreciate the quality of your English, your style of delivery and the frankness of your opinions. I started photography with an Olympus OM10 some 45+ years ago. I still have the camera (it needs new light seals) and after some digital Olympus cameras I am now really enjoying my OM1 and OM2, both bought second-hand. I have tried various film stocks and have found that I spend much more time on composition with 35mm film than with digital. Your channel is interesting and I enjoy the shots of Germany and other European countries.
Thanks for the review. I love this camera. Such a joy to shoot with. I shot with it from 1990 up till when it broke down in 2006. I still own it. I have tried to fix it, but it brakes again after a few days. I also have an OM 3 Ti, that a I got 7 years ago, just to sometimes have that same feeling of nostalgia again once in a while. After viewing this video I think it’s time again to load it a roll of film again.😊
Hello. I am just an amateur here who appreciates mechanical cameras, with Olympus being one of the brands. I have three of the double digit models, and most recently bought a 4Ti with a sluggish shutter that sometimes will only release if I use the tiny "Lock" button on the lower left side of the lens mount of the body. Thank you for the review, and most especially for your comments regarding the Zuiko lenses you used for the portraits.
Paul Moffett Thank you so much for your kind feedback, Paul. We really appreciate it and are glad that you like this video so much. I’m particularly happy about your audio comment as this used to cause trouble in the past and I’ve tried quite a few things by now to improve it. Glad to see it worked. :)
Very nice review! Good photos too! I own an OM 2 with 50mm 1.4, and I agree with the fact that its sharpness shooting wide-open tends to fade. Bytheway you can stop the beeping on the OM4, check the manual!
Thanks so much for your kind words. And please excuse that I didn't check the manual regarding the beeping sound. Someone else mentioned it in the comments as well.
Stumbled over this brilliant review of my old, well used OM4 TI. I had the same irritation of the beep - but it's quite easy to turn off! Check the manual.
I own the OM-1, and as a manual camera, I love it. Seeing your review on the OM-4 Ti, I think it may be the one to extend my Olympus range. Thanks for the wonderful review.
As usual, an excellent video. It is puzzling that very few videos the OM-4 are found on RUclips. This is basically the Ansel Adams camera with his famous zone-system built in. This camera that was way, way ahead of its time in the 80s. If only they implement this metering in modern cameras. It would be nice if you had shown the inside of the viewfinder, which has one of the most beautiful metering display in a camera. The white over blue and the diamond-shape spot metering indicators on top of the shutter-speed scale is a beautiful sight to behold. Perhaps you will also consider reviewing its little sisters the OM-2 spot/program and the OM-40.
Great review as always guys :) Just a few notes: 1) Yes OM 50mm f/1,4 have a busy bokeh, and it's not sharp wide open, but if you shoot ISO 1600 film or higher, that's hard to notice. However, if you close down that lens to f/2 it's performance get stellar. 2) That camera torture test was in Color Foto magazine if I recall correctly, and OM4Ti was featured along Nikon FM2, Nikon F4 and some other. 3) To incorporate auto focus in the OM line, Olympus had a problem - the shutter dial was in the way. And since the whole system was extremely compact to begin with, Oly couldn't or didn't want to place it elsewhere. So they introduced new lens mount in late 80's, similar like Minolta and later Canon, starting with model OM707, but that line of cameras was a pure disaster. Nobody wanted them, not even amateurs. After that, Olympus was reluctant, and didn't release ANY new interchangeable lens camera until E-1 in 2003. 4) I have OM 135mm f/3,5, and that's also a great little pocketable lens, however I never shoot in on a film. You're making pressure on me :D Gruß...
Nice notes. - I think, even though people clearly moved to auto-focus, I'd rather rely on manual focusing than auto-focusing. XD - Sure, it can be a lot quicker than doing it by hand and eye, but it can also just miss. - And although I might not have had the most advanced digital cameras, I've had it a little too often that a dSLR would miss exactly what I was aiming at, whether it's because of size or contrast. I've ruined some precious pictures to bad auto-focusing. And I was relying on it as an amateur, too, so I would've been too slow doing it by hand. - Besides, cameras that have the micro-prisms and split-focusing systems and all that are way clearer to check as well. - So in a way it's nice these final OM-cameras were still manual.
Fantastic work, as always. Your timing is impeccable, just bought an OM-4T a few weeks ago. Wish you had a chance to shoot the latest "made in japan" version of the 50mm f1.8. You guys do such great work, anxiously awaiting your next video. Thanks.
I love your reviews, they have a very nostalgic feel with the sample images and music, also have extremely valuable information. Keep up the great work!
I used to regularly use a non-Ti OM-4 and absolutely loved it. A very intuitive camera to use, especially the spot-metering system. Shot a lot of Kodachrome 25 and 64 with it, for picture library stock shots, and exposure was always perfect.
About 4 months ago I picked up a chrome OM-1n and a trio (50/1.8 silver nose, 28/3.5, and 135/3.5) of lenses all across separate eBay auctions. After watching this vid I found a user condition champagne OM-4T for a steal to supplement my OM-1n for when I'm stuck mid-roll and want to shoot another emulsion. I've had a Nikon F3 and FG for years and as great as they are, neither make me want to pick them up just to shoot by looking at them. The single digit OM's are not only gorgeous, but such a joy to use. It's almost insulting how less expensive they are on the used market compared to their Nikon/Pentax counterparts.
Renato Valenzuela Jr. I recently bought an F3. Sure, the design is beautiful and the wind lever is smooth, but the OM-4 meter blows away the F3 -/+ indicator. I’d rather have the needle from an OM-1 or Nikon FTn than the LCD on the F3. The OM-4 is much lighter, smaller, and I think is arguably more attractive than the red stripe. The only real advantage the F3 has is the removable finder, which is no advantage to me because I don’t have any other finders. My favorite camera is still my OM-3T, but I rarely use it for fear of scratching it. My workhorse is a champagne OM-4T.
Fabulous camera and the one I miss most off all I have owned. I took mine on a bicycle tour from Scotland to Moscow, USSR in 1990 and got amazing shots. Others have mentioned how to disable the 'beep' and correct use of the spot button for multi-spot (i.e. not using the 'memory' lever) but few mention the battery consumption - it just ate button cells! Great review
The OM4 (which I had) commonly suffered a battery drain problem when the camera was off. My electronics was upgraded for free at the time (Australia) to fix the issue. The OM4T (Ti) successor, which I have, never suffered this problem with it's newer electronics.
Love the videos. I own the OM 4ti and I throughly love it. But I love the OM system. Thanks for the vid. Keep up the good work. Looking for to the next one.
I've had my trusty Olympus 0m2n for many years and I love it still. The 0m4Ti has always been out of my reach financially. Strange as it sounds, the groundbreaking (in it's day) Canon T90 has many of the same features at a cheaper price. By the way, your model is breathtakingly beautiful. Thanks for posting....
Good to see an other 4TI in such a great condition as yours. Mine is in pristine condition too. The memory lever is in fact easy to keep on top of your head. The "Eselsbrücke" is lever pushed to the left/inward towards the lens = memory input versus level pushed right = outward the camera and away from the lens. That's how I keep it best. Just my 2 cts.
Thank you very much for such a great review. Multi spot metering was very useful to see which parts of the scene would go complete dark and which parts would go total white. I was trying to learn and practice Ansel Adams' zone system at those times, and multi spot metering was gold for me. Another thing that I loved with this camera was "off-the-film" (OTF) metering. It was giving full control to me especially for the long exposures. If the light conditions changes during the exposure then OTF could keep the shutter open or close it by calculating how much light already exposured the film and if it is now enough or not for "zone v". If I wanted some under or over exposures for such shootings, I was changing the ISO setting accordingly to cheat the OTF. Have I mentioned that I also loved the shutter speed ring in front of the camera? :)
Great video. I've been an Olympus user for many years now and always loved the OM4 and OM4Ti. Just one note, you can turn off that annoying over/under exposure sound. Check the manual.
Hi Max, all you do is lift and push the lever around the self timer control toward the lens and the beeper is silenced. The overexposure blinking will still show in the viewfinder without the beep.
Dude this is an awesome camera review/walk/shoot/thoughts! I only own the OM1 and the OM2n & I have never tried this Version of the system but I can tell you that you have sold it to me, I wanna definitely try it now, specially the advance metering system... keep up the great work, this is great content!
Please tell me how you scan these? The photos came out amazing? And how did you use the spot-metering? Did you use it in all sorts of shades or only two or three spots. I use this camera, but sometimes it became underexposed. Probably my fault
Thanks for your comment. Our video descriptions typically contain information on the scanning process. In this case, the portraits were scanned by the German MeinFilmLab using a Fuji Frontier scanner. They did an excellent job there. The other images were scanned by our buddy Felix, also with a Frontier back then if I remember correctly.
There is a way to silence the beeps of the camera. Move the self timer light halo up on the front and then the little knob to the side and it will turn the sounds off.
Hello! Your videos are great, really well produced and with great content. I enjoy your relaxed style of presentation. Well done. The photos with the model were excellent. I used to have an om4ti. It was very good to use and know if you had a white car or white bride’s dress you could be sure of a good exposure. I remember having a lot of confidence in the meter. Also i remember the 28 f2 , 50 1.4 and 100 2.8 was a great portable kit.
Wonderful vid as always :) I worked on repairing many OM-1 and OM-2 but it's true, the OM-4 or Ti has a staggering amount of electronics inside. The version of 50 f/1.4 you have is the so-called MC version with purplish elements. Olympus released a final updated version with green-purple coatings and updated optical formula and serials above 1.110.000+. These have slightly better bokeh and better contrast. Cheers.
With single-coated it's less about serial and more about: 1) yellowish glass 2) G.Zuiko label on name ring. There are 5 versions: SC G.Zuiko with silver front, SC G.Zuiko with black front, MC Zuiko with black front, nMC (no-MC, unlabeled but still MC) with black front, and MC above 1.110.000 with green-purple glass.
Do you know if such a cup is available for an X-700? (As it seems it has an option for it.) And where could I find such accessories? - I do live in The Netherlands, so if you just know European sources it would probably work anyway.
really great insight this is! thanks guys. Got an OM-4 from my parent, later got my self a OM1N MD, and several Zuiko lenses 50mm 1.4 & 1.8, 28mm, 135mm, even got the Tamron adaptall 90mm macro. But since film developing center is becoming very rare, im using the digital version nowadays. Used some E series FT DSLR, and now using the MFT OM-D EM5 (almost 10 yo now, still works like a charm) and recently acquired a mint ex display OM-D EM1 M2. sometime using the old Zuikos lenses on em. Loves the Maitani San heritage here.
Danke für deinen Kommentar. Jules hat österreichische Wurzeln, wir sind aber beide Deutsche und leben in München. Drehen nur ab und zu auch in Österreich. :)
Really great video! I love my OM4. I could be wrong, but I don’t think you’ve described how the highlight and shadow buttons work correctly. The highlight button is used if you spot onto a bright highlight like snow for example - it will essentially tell the sensor to over expose by 2 stops so the snow doesn’t turn out grey, and inversely for the shadow button, if you spot on something like a black cats fur, it will underexpose it by a stop and a half so the fur turns out black.
Thank you so much for this review. It is really intresting and the pictures youre taken turned out pretty well..by the way. Danke und einen guten Start ins neue Jahr!
I agree the beeping sound is annoying. It can be stopped by turning the self timer lever located on the front over to the left from the perspective of holding the camera, this turns off all the sounds. The camera metering is still very sensitive even compared to modern cameras the camera was able to accurately auto exposure in extremely low light with shutter speeds up to 2 minutes can any modern DSL's do that? Also the ttl metering continued while the shutter was open adjusting the expose on the fly while the picture was being taken! I would have liked to have seen some examples of the camera shooting slide film, which has an an exposure latitude of less than 0.5 of a stop this as I understand it was one of the primary reasons for the implementation incredible accurate and sophisticated metering system.
Your comments are great, they revial the essence,in dept details,the historical surrounding evolution spiral, Your style is simply superb. Please, revial the Nikon FM3A, this is the poetry of the manual semi-professional cameras. In my modest opinion, a camera, which Nikon built at least late by good 15 years. Non the least, that was the swang song of the great era of the manually controlled, non autofocus cameras.
I have this camera. I'm a rangefinder guy because I'm more comfortable using it for street photography. But I just miss how engaging SLR's can be so I bought an OM4ti for other photographs I do aside street photography. haha what a complex life..
Haha, thanks for your nice comment. We really appreciate it. I (Max) also prefer using rangefinders for street photography. But for portraits I generally prefer SLRs. :)
The sound of the camera could be canceled. You forgot the 50mm f3,5 macro. I have the 50mm f1,8 / f1,4 / and f3,5 and it is the lens that I use the most, that of being able to approach the object less than 20 cms ......And you can adapt these in a digital ,having good ,small and cheap lenses
You do such a great job describing cameras and always have very professional videos. I constantly find myself looking forward to watching. Thanks for the great content! 😊👍🏻 (Also super jealous that the places you shoot are just mind blowing beautiful ) 😂
I bought a 4Ti last year when I returned to film. I remembered it’s launch when I was using a Pentax ME Super, also criticised for its buttons on the top plate. As has been said earlier, you just switch the sound off under the self timer. Regarding the “complexity” of the spot metering system, I wonder how many operations there are on your digital SLR to achieve the same effect? Enjoyed the review though.
Hi Max Another great video! Well produced and well presented. There was a point you made that I didn't understand- you mentioned in Salzburg you were using f/1,4 at 1/90sec , as there wasn't a lot of available light. How did you manage to shoot with the 135?
matteovrizzi Thanks for your comment and good spot. ;) I was referring to the darker situation near the wall in the very beginning. Later that morning it got lighter and I could shoot the 135mm easily but also mostly wide open. Hope this helps.
@@AnalogInsights Of course, makes sense. Really enjoy the channel. The quality content and the great photography from yourself, Jules and Greg. Your Fuji Acros work on this video was superb, very well suited to the subject. Are you a professional portrait photographer or is it rather a hobby/passion?
Great video of a gorgeous camera. The metering system is unique. I remember that my digital EOS 1D Mk.2 also had multispot metering and I loved using it. Just one small comment about AF. Olympus DID manage to make AF cameras with the OM mount: The OM-30 was a very basic effort with only one special AF lens, similar to some other offerings like the Nikon F3 AF. And then the OM-707 was a fully-spec'd AF camera. Sadly they made some peculiar mistakes not uncommon to other first-generation AF systems and totally gave up after just this one body. But, yes, OM could have been an AF system as well if Olympus would have persisted!
Really beautiful portraits from Lea in Salzburg. Which pixelpeeping Digital Camera of today should create such atmospheric B&W pictures (21:43-22:07) like the OM 4 TI? Even the Leica Q2 Monochrom or Leica M Monochrom would fail.
Great review guys! I think you are putting out some of the highest quality content on youtube! I was looking for a SLR with aperture priority to complement my all-mechanical Leica M2 and was torn between this camera and Nikon's FM3a. I ultimately decided to go with the Nikon because I am familiar with the system and already have some Nikkor glass, but the OM-4 Ti does look like an amazing camera. I do wish the FM3a had spot metering
Thanks for your wonderful comment. This means a lot to us! I'm a bit jealous of your Leica M2. It's such a beautiful and clean camera. I recently purchased a M3 and love it dearly. Unfortunately, I still don't have much experience with Nikon SLRs of the time. We'll probably take a closer look at these at some point, too. :)
Thank you very much for this in-depth review. I've recently been shooting with an OM-2 and the 28mm lens. I might have to obtain the 135mm now since the portraits had a really nice look to them. I also really enjoyed the images on Illford Delta shot by Jules and also on your portraits shot on Acros.
Max and Jules, very informative and highly enjoyable video and audio work. Someone asked if the Olympus OM lenses were weatherproof, they do not appear to be weatherproof when compared to the later Fuji lenses where you can see the water seal on the mount. Zeiss Milvus lenses also have the water seal on the mount. Keep up the marvelous videos, and stay safe from Covid 19.
You didn't really talk about the two different exposure modes. 1: Manual exposure. You have to set the shutter speed and aperture manually. 2: Aperture Preferred Auto-Exposure. You set the lens aperture and the camera automatically uses stepless shutter speeds to expose the film. spot metering can be used in both modes.
Hi Max, I usually watch many of your videos and I like them a lot. Recently I saw the video about the Olympus OM-1 and I loved it for a while that the idea of acquiring an OM camera was maturing and I could not decide between the OM-1 and the OM-2. Finally I bought the OM-1n despite the inconvenience of having to solve the battery problem because the rule of 16 I still do not handle it very well. And now I continue with the reason to write this comment that I hope does not become too long and are thoughts that woke up when I saw in the presentation when you made the portrait that hung from your neck a light meter that contrasted a little with the fact of being using the most advanced camera in the OM series. At the moment where you describe the technical qualities of the light measurement system and the dynamic range control, I couldn't help thinking that you could have taken exactly the same photos with the om-1 using the same lenses and the same film. Of course the same degree of creativity could have been acquired with all the cameras that you have presented to date. What made me remember that a camera is a tool and that it is used not only by creatives in an artistic way but by many others in a more technical way. The technical sophistication as a means of control of the OM-4Ti has been far exceeded by today's digital cameras and many other analog cameras after it, which leaves us with the group of creators and collectors as the most likely interested in this and many other cameras of the time and perhaps those affected by GAS The name "Analog Insights" describes your blog very well but I would love maybe that in the moments of photography you and your partner could show creative ways that take advantage of those unique characteristics that each camera has, its soul in some way. It is not a criticism of yours work that is excellent only a suggestion to vary the photographic round that after watching some videos become a bit of the same. Thank you very much for your videos.
I know this is an old video. And you have lots of other great videos on your channel that i enjoyed watching for a long while. But this one was timely since i just acquired my first OM camera. Been shooting with Nikon, Leica and pentax and other brands for a long while but have actually never owned any OM cameras. I have the Olympus RD which you have also reviewed earlier and know the Zuiko lenses can create some great images. So my first OM happened to be the OM-4Ti :) Its arriving this week with the 28mm f2,8. Now im looking for some other great lenses for the OM. I now of the 40mm f2,0 and the 100mm F2,0 of course, but besides though quite pricey Zuiko lenses do you have any other great lenses to recommend. Im mostly a prime shooter. Would be nice with a 50 and maybe 85 or so to compliment my 28 :) Otherwise, great video, loved the content and the music as well as your portraits were also great! :) Well done. /Martin.
Hi Martin, thank you for your comment. I briefly reached out to Jules and he recommended (from a user not collector perspective) the 55mm f/1.2 , the 24mm f/2 and the 21mm f/3.5. On the other end of the spectrum, he recommended to go for the f/2.8 versions instead of the often expensive f/2 versions (often heavily sought after by collectors) and go for the 100mm f/2.8, 135mm f/2.8 and 300mm f/4.5. The only lens to avoid in the OM system is the 180mm f/2.8 which doesn't shine from an optical perspective. I hope this helps. All the best, Max
@@AnalogInsights Hi Max and thank you for your quick reply :) Yes i noticed they had a 40mm f2 and another F2 for like 1800 EU and understood quite fast that they were not going to be in my sights hehe. I do usually try and go for the better lenses and especially i think it can be worth a little more money for unique character lenses like the Takumar 50mm f1,4 8 element you also had a video about on your channel for pentax, but the money for that is within the limit for what i can afford to pay, some of these Zuiko lenses i have seen are just inanely expensive( like nikkor Noct! ). I can see there is an "Auto-T" 100mm f2,8 out very cheap like 100 EU , and also a 21mm f3,5 like you suggested but with some small scratches on the front element for 210 EU. So might try and get one or two of them then :) The 135mm you used in your video seemed very cool too, really liked the picture you got out of it. will also look for the 55mm and 24 you mentioned( none around as we speak but at least i know what to look out for now). Thank you so much for your input, have a great xmas and happy new year in advance Max :) /regards Martin.
@@AnalogInsights Just a fun update about the acquisition of Zuiko lenses after this post. I now have a little kit based around what you suggested :) Got the 28mm f2,8 ( on the camera i bought ), the 50mm f3,5 Macro, the 55mm f1,2 and finally the 100mm f2,8. Feels like a great start or will be happy with those and maybe in future if i have luck and run into the 85mm f2 or similar maybe i have the funds for one of those as well hehe. thank you for you input Max and Jules :) regards Martin.
Nostalgia !!! Shot with the OM 4 (non Ti) for a few years. It had the battery drain problem but the workaround was to set shutter dial to B or 60 (mechanical). Other than that a great cam !
I have an OM-4 with the battery-drain problem. Regrettably, setting the shutter speed to B or mechanical 6o did not solve this issue, the battery still drained too quickly.
I own and love this amazing camera, though seldom use it nowadays. But it's incredible light meter and analogue display has never been equaled. Take your spot readings and not only can you see your subjects dynamic range displayed but also the cameras chosen average exposure, so you can judge where this fits within your films limitations and adjust accordingly. And it's just like reading an analogue watch. It's instantly in your brain without any reading and interpreting of digital numbers. Also being able to use fill flash wide open in bright sunlight gave incredible results not matched even by leaf shutter cameras with slower sync. No other camera I've ever used became such an intuitive part of me that I could focus entirely on the compostion in the viewfinder. The best OM lenses are legendary
I thought that I would take a little time to explain the use of the camera's Spot Meter functions that were not explained very well in the video.
The OM-4Ti uses OTF metering. OTF stands for Off The Film. What this means is that the meter is pointed backwards and that readings are taken from the light that is reflected off of the film plane. The standard meter reading in Manual exposure mode is a center-weighted averaged meter reading. You can manually set a shutter speed and aperture setting based on this reading. In Auto exposure mode, the camera's meter controls the shutter speed setting based on what aperture is set on the lens. The camera's electronics control the shutter speed setting in real time as the exposure is actually being made.
You take a spot meter reading by pressing the "Spot" button on the top of the camera next to the shutter release. Taking a second (or more) readings result in the camera's electronics averaging the spot readings and calculating an averaged exposure value. Pressing the shutter release causes the spot readings to be "lost" from the camera's memory and you need to start the process all over again for the next exposure.
In Auto mode, if you want to use spot metering but use the same exposure settings for a series of frames, you can use the spot function and then you press the "Memory" lever towards the camera's prism. The spot readings are then stored in the camera's memory and pressing the shutter release does not erase the stored exposure value. A stored spot reading is kept for about 60 minutes or can be erased by pressing the memory lever to "Clear".
MOPARGUY413 Thanks for taking the time. And, as mentioned before, please excuse that we got this a bit wrong and incomplete in the video. We’ve learned from it. :)
It's amazing how many reviews of this incredible camera do not actuially know that this is not a multi spot metering system and completely misunderstand the Hi-Light and Shadow buttons. I just had to leave a lengthy comment to correct one uploader on both these points. (not referring to this video creator though)
This is the best camera I ever owned. Bought it brand new in late 80's with four lenses, powerwinder ans databack and the unbelievable T-32 flash. And my god it was absolutely brilliant.
No doubt. Of all the cameras I had before this, OM-10, OM-20 and then later Canon EOS's, none of them were this good. When I got hit off my motorcycle years later this camera was over my shoulder. It got ruined.
Exactly. Thank you for saying this. The photos in the video could have been taken with any averaging meter camera. In fact, in several of them the shadows are completely blocked up - which the OM4 metering system avoids if used correctly. That’s the disadvantage modern photographers have always using “smart cameras” that do all the work for them (exposure, focusing). My Sony a7rii takes gorgeous pictures, but the weight, insane cost, and byzantine complexity make me long for my Olympuses.
I just discovered this channel, and I do own a champagne OM-4ti I bought in 1986. I still have it with a couple of lenses, but they all need to be sent for repairs. Furthermore, I remember an old Popular Photography magazine in the review section stating in their first sentence something like this: This camera has the most advanced exposure metering system of any camera, period. I still believe that statement holds true to this day.
Still use my om-4 bought in 1983 mostly with 35/2.0
My workflow: OM-4/Portra 400/Tetenal C-41/Plustek 8200/MBP/Vuescan/Lightroom
Zuiko Om lenses.... how sweet they are... really .
You don't have to use the lever to take measurements. You just use the spot button. Memory is only needed when you want to take several photos with the exact same measurements.
Ah! Thanks so much for pointing that out. We really weren't aware of that. Shame on us. :)
There are a lot of film photography related youtube channels out there, but you guys are something special. Nowhere else do I get as inspired as here, and learn something. Plus the choice of music is just spot on! Thank you!
Rasmus Kokholm Thank you for your wonderful comment. This means a lot to us. 🙏🏻 Glad to hear we could inspire you. ☺️
Max, I really enjoy your insightful videos. There are some terrible camera reviewers on RUclips, but yours are intelligent and beautifully filmed by Jules.
You’ve inspired me to have my OM-4 serviced, just as you have with my OM-1. You’re starting to cost me a lot of money....!
Thanks again.
Iain
Really, a first class review gents.
Excellent technical review of the camera.
Excellent modelling.
Excellent cinematography.
Excellent soundtrack.
Excellent editing.
Well done!
sophrapsune Excellent comment! No just kidding. We really appreciate your kind words. This kind of positive feedback really means a lot to us. 🙏🏻
Very bad light time to shoot.
I just love stopping by and hanging out with super camera-man ❤
As an OM4Ti owner, my dream camera was the OM3Ti , which represented Leica qualities of durability and precision. A camera that never lets you down. As the digital era arrived, dreams changed accordingly :-)
And now we dream of a camera that isn't obsolete within two years of dropping $2k on it.
@@jonvincentmusic2 years … or six months
These are your very best portraits. And the snowy portraits are wonderful.Thanks for the review. This is a camera I have always wanted to own.
As always, another great video review. As an Olympus OM-1 shooter, whose OM-1 has served me for many years, I am now looking to upgrade to an OM-4 Ti. Your review has allowed me to decide it is a good option. Thanks.
It's great to listen to and watch your insights. Your admiration for Mr. Maitani is infectious. Thanks.
Nice review. first class. I love the OM-4 (and ti).
Worth noting is that you can easily disable the beeping. Lift and push the small switch/lever on the front of the camera in the opposite direction to the timer (so to the right) and this will silence the camera completely. No more annoying beeps.
It does take a while to get used to the OM system (all controls on the lens), but it's for sure one of the finest (if not the finest) 135mm systems ever manufactured.
I do think the standard focusing-screen a bit dark for any lenses slower than 2.8. The 2 series screens really help (but they cost quite a lot and are quite rare).
Edit: Grammer/Spelling
Very very professional video. Once again, the history of film cameras is so interesting. Thank you. RS. Canada
If you lift the self timer lever and push it towards the lens mount, it turns the beep off.
Thanks for letting us know. As mentioned in a different comment, I should have mentioned that in the video. Sorry about that.
Good to know! - I already found it hard to believe that they (especially Olympus) wouldn't give an option to turn it off. - I was thinking that if I'd ever get this camera I'd have to go in and destroy that. - Because my Minolta X-700 also has a feature like that and it indeed is very annoying. Not only to listen to, but it would probably turn a lot of heads. Especially because it's such an unusual sound nowadays, as it used to be in things like digital watches and the like. - People might think you have a movie-bomb! XD
I have the OM-4, not the Ti, and it works the same regarding the beep. On a side note: Just wish I could bring my OM-1n MD's dead metering back to life, but that's not the end of the world since OM-1 functions fully otherwise. Wonderful cameras both of them.
The OM4Ti is the best SLR for 35 mm Film Cameras, among all Japanese made Cameras, including Canon, Pentax & Nikon. Using the Flash F280 TTL System you can shoot at shutter speeds up to 1/2000 Second. It also has automatic exposure with aperture priority up to complete 120 Seconds, which is great for Night Photography but you need a professional Tripod. The Spot Metering system and average metering system are second to none and are really top professional, reading the light exposure off the film plane. Many Thanks for the nice review and assessment of this legendary camera made by Olympus.
Love the entire video, you guys did a really good job. I have several Olympus OM film cameras including the OM-4T (OM-4Ti in the rest of the world) but my favorite is the OM-2n. Both are aswesome cameras in their compact size and simplicity. Though I do agree with you that the 4Ti has a lot going on on the top plate compared to the OM-2n.
Wow! Probably the most insightful and in-depth camera review I’ve ever seen. Very engaging. Those acros shots nearly look medium format esque. Beautiful work as always. I’ve had various OM bodies, including the om-4, and must say they are an absolute treat to shoot. And as you said, the lenses are truly wonderful pieces of glass! Thanks for the review buddy
Nick Exposed Thanks so much for your kind words, Nick. I really appreciate it. Especially as the praise is coming from you. 🙏🏻
If you guys could choose one camera body keeping in mind that it should be versatile , have great lenses, not too expensive, compact, not battery dependent, good construction. What would it be. Thanks
Also it should be 35mm. A reply would be highly appreciated.Thanks in advance
Olympus OM-1.
every camera review is amazingly jammed with a lot of information, sample shots, etc.
For me I never ventured beyond the OM-2, I now just have a couple of OM-1 bodies and a selection of primes. I never saw the need to go beyond what the OM-1 offered. I do have a couple of zoom lenses, however they make better a paperweight than they do images. The primaries, however, a totally different story, sublime then and sublime now. The zooms being possibly the only weakness of the system. I agree with you observation on the build quality of the lenses, the quality of the slower lenses matching that of the faster glass. The 135mm is possibly my favourite of all the OM glass, the sides are also fun.As I have said before, the OM system is both aesthetically beautiful and superbly manufactured. A design classic that still looks good all these years later.
Thanks for your elaborate comment. I (Max) completely agree with your assessment of the OM system. I also really enjoyed using the OM-1 and love the design of build quality of these cameras. :)
Baxter Marrison - Don't be too hard on Olympus for the lousy zoom lenses, pretty much all of them from that era were terrible.
Indeed, good point well made.
Most of the Zuiko zooms were not very good. One exception was the 35-80mm f2.8 ED zoom that was introduced very late in the OM system (I believe in the late 1990's).
@@MOPARGUY413 That 35-80 F2.8 is quite rare and still VERY expensive. I believe it was astounding and I hoped to have one. Obsolete now, like the brilliant Zuiko 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0 Digital.
My 75-150mm, 35-70mm F4 were useless compared to a 1960 75mm F3.5 on a Rolleiflex or the Zuiko135mm F2.8
Let me congratulate you on your review. As an old user of the OM system, I quickly fell in love with it, since my first camera was an OM-10. Sometime later I bought an OM2S and years after an OM-4 Ti. I also have a wide selection of lenses (28/2.8, 35/2, 50/1.4, 50/3.5 Macro, 85/2, 135/2.8, 200/4). I completely agree with you when you praised the Zuiko lenses because I love all of them. There are compact and light and I use them very often with my Sony 𝛂7 and I'm very happy with the results.
Beautiful B&W portraits, esp mid-vlog in Munich with the slate back wall. Great work!
My OM 4 died weeks after purchase due to rain. I have a OM 4t that has held up for years.
The Ti version is on the list of wants. But my 4T is fine and still works well. It convinced me to come back to Olympus OMD E mk II, Pen f and
TG 6. All doing a great job.
OM-4 Ti and OM-4 T are the same. OM4-T was the designation for the USA market, and OM4-Ti is the model for the rest of the world. So, I wouldn't go for a 4Ti if you (like me) have an OM4-T
These videos keep me from selling my old gear on eBay. They are very classy, like visiting a museum and viewing some of the classic paintings and sculptures...
I recently discovered your channel and love your relaxed but exact style, and the quality of the photographs.
Great video, im using an OM-3 which is kinda similar to an om4 TI, and i found this video because I'm looking for buying an OM4 ti and its definitely the best one I've found!
Especially when you talk about the different lenses, it helps me a lot! Thank you very much!
I very much appreciate the quality of your English, your style of delivery and the frankness of your opinions. I started photography with an Olympus OM10 some 45+ years ago. I still have the camera (it needs new light seals) and after some digital Olympus cameras I am now really enjoying my OM1 and OM2, both bought second-hand. I have tried various film stocks and have found that I spend much more time on composition with 35mm film than with digital. Your channel is interesting and I enjoy the shots of Germany and other European countries.
Thanks for the review. I love this camera. Such a joy to shoot with. I shot with it from 1990 up till when it broke down in 2006. I still own it. I have tried to fix it, but it brakes again after a few days. I also have an OM 3 Ti, that a I got 7 years ago, just to sometimes have that same feeling of nostalgia again once in a while. After viewing this video I think it’s time again to load it a roll of film again.😊
I love my OM3 and OM4 cameras, compact, lightweight, solid metering system, and the lenses are fantastic.
Hello.
I am just an amateur here who appreciates mechanical cameras, with Olympus being one of the brands. I have three of the double digit models, and most recently bought a 4Ti with a sluggish shutter that sometimes will only release if I use the tiny "Lock" button on the lower left side of the lens mount of the body. Thank you for the review, and most especially for your comments regarding the Zuiko lenses you used for the portraits.
Superb review. Great work. Well thought out...well planned...expert editing makes for a very enjoyable experience. Top-notch audio. Thank you!
Paul Moffett Thank you so much for your kind feedback, Paul. We really appreciate it and are glad that you like this video so much. I’m particularly happy about your audio comment as this used to cause trouble in the past and I’ve tried quite a few things by now to improve it. Glad to see it worked. :)
Loved your upload! I have the original OM1 and the OM4Ti 1.2 50mm the only cameras I ever owned.
Ivar Hakuse Thanks for your kind feedback. Sounds like a lovely combination to me. :)
Very nice review! Good photos too! I own an OM 2 with 50mm 1.4, and I agree with the fact that its sharpness shooting wide-open tends to fade. Bytheway you can stop the beeping on the OM4, check the manual!
Thanks so much for your kind words. And please excuse that I didn't check the manual regarding the beeping sound. Someone else mentioned it in the comments as well.
Stumbled over this brilliant review of my old, well used OM4 TI.
I had the same irritation of the beep - but it's quite easy to turn off!
Check the manual.
Love your videos Max. And the great music choices. Good and relaxing atmosphere.
Thank you so much! Makes us happy to hear that our little videos resonate with you.
It’s also the first video I see that you and Jules wear short sleeves and caps, and not long coats and wool hats :-) A nice day in Bavaria.
Ahaha. Nothing to add to that. :)
I own the OM-1, and as a manual camera, I love it. Seeing your review on the OM-4 Ti, I think it may be the one to extend my Olympus range. Thanks for the wonderful review.
Nice Video. I like the music and the photos a lot ! I have the OM-1.
As usual, an excellent video. It is puzzling that very few videos the OM-4 are found on RUclips. This is basically the Ansel Adams camera with his famous zone-system built in.
This camera that was way, way ahead of its time in the 80s. If only they implement this metering in modern cameras. It would be nice if you had shown the inside of the viewfinder, which has one of the most beautiful metering display in a camera. The white over blue and the diamond-shape spot metering indicators on top of the shutter-speed scale is a beautiful sight to behold.
Perhaps you will also consider reviewing its little sisters the OM-2 spot/program and the OM-40.
Great review as always guys :)
Just a few notes:
1) Yes OM 50mm f/1,4 have a busy bokeh, and it's not sharp wide open, but if you shoot ISO 1600 film or higher, that's hard to notice. However, if you close down that lens to f/2 it's performance get stellar.
2) That camera torture test was in Color Foto magazine if I recall correctly, and OM4Ti was featured along Nikon FM2, Nikon F4 and some other.
3) To incorporate auto focus in the OM line, Olympus had a problem - the shutter dial was in the way. And since the whole system was extremely compact to begin with, Oly couldn't or didn't want to place it elsewhere. So they introduced new lens mount in late 80's, similar like Minolta and later Canon, starting with model OM707, but that line of cameras was a pure disaster. Nobody wanted them, not even amateurs. After that, Olympus was reluctant, and didn't release ANY new interchangeable lens camera until E-1 in 2003.
4) I have OM 135mm f/3,5, and that's also a great little pocketable lens, however I never shoot in on a film. You're making pressure on me :D
Gruß...
Tomislav Miletić Thanks so much for your additional input and clarifications. Really appreciated. 🙏🏻
Nice notes. - I think, even though people clearly moved to auto-focus, I'd rather rely on manual focusing than auto-focusing. XD - Sure, it can be a lot quicker than doing it by hand and eye, but it can also just miss. - And although I might not have had the most advanced digital cameras, I've had it a little too often that a dSLR would miss exactly what I was aiming at, whether it's because of size or contrast. I've ruined some precious pictures to bad auto-focusing. And I was relying on it as an amateur, too, so I would've been too slow doing it by hand. - Besides, cameras that have the micro-prisms and split-focusing systems and all that are way clearer to check as well. - So in a way it's nice these final OM-cameras were still manual.
Fantastic work, as always. Your timing is impeccable, just bought an OM-4T a few weeks ago. Wish you had a chance to shoot the latest "made in japan" version of the 50mm f1.8. You guys do such great work, anxiously awaiting your next video. Thanks.
I love your reviews, they have a very nostalgic feel with the sample images and music, also have extremely valuable information. Keep up the great work!
I used to regularly use a non-Ti OM-4 and absolutely loved it. A very intuitive camera to use, especially the spot-metering system. Shot a lot of Kodachrome 25 and 64 with it, for picture library stock shots, and exposure was always perfect.
You guys are killing it! Keep them coming!
Thanks a lot! :)
As always, a fantastic video! Analog Insights has to be one of THE most professional channels on YT. Beautiful shots taken with a beautiful camera.
Wow, thanks a lot for this lovely comment. This really is quite the motivation to keep going and pushing to become better with these little videos. :)
About 4 months ago I picked up a chrome OM-1n and a trio (50/1.8 silver nose, 28/3.5, and 135/3.5) of lenses all across separate eBay auctions. After watching this vid I found a user condition champagne OM-4T for a steal to supplement my OM-1n for when I'm stuck mid-roll and want to shoot another emulsion. I've had a Nikon F3 and FG for years and as great as they are, neither make me want to pick them up just to shoot by looking at them. The single digit OM's are not only gorgeous, but such a joy to use. It's almost insulting how less expensive they are on the used market compared to their Nikon/Pentax counterparts.
Renato Valenzuela Jr. I recently bought an F3. Sure, the design is beautiful and the wind lever is smooth, but the OM-4 meter blows away the F3 -/+ indicator. I’d rather have the needle from an OM-1 or Nikon FTn than the LCD on the F3. The OM-4 is much lighter, smaller, and I think is arguably more attractive than the red stripe. The only real advantage the F3 has is the removable finder, which is no advantage to me because I don’t have any other finders.
My favorite camera is still my OM-3T, but I rarely use it for fear of scratching it. My workhorse is a champagne OM-4T.
Nikons are for showing off your camera, Olympus are for showing off your photos.
@@geraldward9765 could replace Nikon with Leica in that sentence and still be right. #shotsfired lol
Fabulous camera and the one I miss most off all I have owned. I took mine on a bicycle tour from Scotland to Moscow, USSR in 1990 and got amazing shots. Others have mentioned how to disable the 'beep' and correct use of the spot button for multi-spot (i.e. not using the 'memory' lever) but few mention the battery consumption - it just ate button cells!
Great review
Gavin McCulloch . Maybe you remember that at the time it was critical to use the LR44 and not the SR44 cells
Other way round.
The OM4 (which I had) commonly suffered a battery drain problem when the camera was off. My electronics was upgraded for free at the time (Australia) to fix the issue. The OM4T (Ti) successor, which I have, never suffered this problem with it's newer electronics.
To silence the beeping, I believe one of the positions of the delay timer (front, beneath OM-4 Ti) does that.
Love the videos. I own the OM 4ti and I throughly love it. But I love the OM system. Thanks for the vid. Keep up the good work. Looking for to the next one.
Beautiful, beautiful black and white portrait! I know the model is gorgeous, but the combination of highlight, mid tone and contrast is pleasing!
I've had my trusty Olympus 0m2n for many years and I love it still. The 0m4Ti has always been out of my reach financially. Strange as it sounds, the groundbreaking (in it's day) Canon T90 has many of the same features at a cheaper price. By the way, your model is breathtakingly beautiful. Thanks for posting....
Good to see an other 4TI in such a great condition as yours. Mine is in pristine condition too. The memory lever is in fact easy to keep on top of your head. The "Eselsbrücke" is lever pushed to the left/inward towards the lens = memory input versus level pushed right = outward the camera and away from the lens. That's how I keep it best. Just my 2 cts.
Thank you very much for such a great review. Multi spot metering was very useful to see which parts of the scene would go complete dark and which parts would go total white. I was trying to learn and practice Ansel Adams' zone system at those times, and multi spot metering was gold for me. Another thing that I loved with this camera was "off-the-film" (OTF) metering. It was giving full control to me especially for the long exposures. If the light conditions changes during the exposure then OTF could keep the shutter open or close it by calculating how much light already exposured the film and if it is now enough or not for "zone v". If I wanted some under or over exposures for such shootings, I was changing the ISO setting accordingly to cheat the OTF. Have I mentioned that I also loved the shutter speed ring in front of the camera? :)
Great video. I've been an Olympus user for many years now and always loved the OM4 and OM4Ti. Just one note, you can turn off that annoying over/under exposure sound. Check the manual.
I had this Cam in the 80th and i loved it. Now i use the Primes adapted on Fujifilm XT-1! GREAT! Thanks! Wolf
Hi Max, all you do is lift and push the lever around the self timer control toward the lens and the beeper is silenced. The overexposure blinking will still show in the viewfinder without the beep.
Dude this is an awesome camera review/walk/shoot/thoughts! I only own the OM1 and the OM2n & I have never tried this Version of the system but I can tell you that you have sold it to me, I wanna definitely try it now, specially the advance metering system... keep up the great work, this is great content!
Please tell me how you scan these? The photos came out amazing? And how did you use the spot-metering? Did you use it in all sorts of shades or only two or three spots. I use this camera, but sometimes it became underexposed. Probably my fault
Thanks for your comment. Our video descriptions typically contain information on the scanning process. In this case, the portraits were scanned by the German MeinFilmLab using a Fuji Frontier scanner. They did an excellent job there. The other images were scanned by our buddy Felix, also with a Frontier back then if I remember correctly.
@@AnalogInsights Wow. The Fuji brings out the joy of analog photography. It kind of reminds me of some digital Leica quality images I’ve seen
There is a way to silence the beeps of the camera. Move the self timer light halo up on the front and then the little knob to the side and it will turn the sounds off.
A really excellent review of a beautiful camera system. I love my OM-4ti it is an awesome camera, thanks for sharing your experiences with us. David
Hello! Your videos are great, really well produced and with great content. I enjoy your relaxed style of presentation. Well done. The photos with the model were excellent. I used to have an om4ti. It was very good to use and know if you had a white car or white bride’s dress you could be sure of a good exposure. I remember having a lot of confidence in the meter. Also i remember the 28 f2 , 50 1.4 and 100 2.8 was a great portable kit.
Wonderful vid as always :) I worked on repairing many OM-1 and OM-2 but it's true, the OM-4 or Ti has a staggering amount of electronics inside. The version of 50 f/1.4 you have is the so-called MC version with purplish elements. Olympus released a final updated version with green-purple coatings and updated optical formula and serials above 1.110.000+. These have slightly better bokeh and better contrast. Cheers.
Christopher Poplawski do you know what the cutoff serial for single coated vs multi coated is? I’ve always assumed mine was sc
With single-coated it's less about serial and more about: 1) yellowish glass 2) G.Zuiko label on name ring.
There are 5 versions: SC G.Zuiko with silver front, SC G.Zuiko with black front, MC Zuiko with black front, nMC (no-MC, unlabeled but still MC) with black front, and MC above 1.110.000 with green-purple glass.
I see, mine is a sc G. Zuiko. Thanks for your help!
early enough to only watch in 360p...still worth watching more than any other video on youtube
Aww, thanks so much. This comment means a lot to us! :)
Do you know if such a cup is available for an X-700? (As it seems it has an option for it.) And where could I find such accessories? - I do live in The Netherlands, so if you just know European sources it would probably work anyway.
really great insight this is! thanks guys. Got an OM-4 from my parent, later got my self a OM1N MD, and several Zuiko lenses 50mm 1.4 & 1.8, 28mm, 135mm, even got the Tamron adaptall 90mm macro. But since film developing center is becoming very rare, im using the digital version nowadays. Used some E series FT DSLR, and now using the MFT OM-D EM5 (almost 10 yo now, still works like a charm) and recently acquired a mint ex display OM-D EM1 M2. sometime using the old Zuikos lenses on em. Loves the Maitani San heritage here.
Hätte nicht gedacht, dass ihr österreichisch seit. Auf jeden Fall besseres English als in der werten Hauptstadt. Viel Glück mit dem Kanal
Danke für deinen Kommentar. Jules hat österreichische Wurzeln, wir sind aber beide Deutsche und leben in München. Drehen nur ab und zu auch in Österreich. :)
Really great video! I love my OM4.
I could be wrong, but I don’t think you’ve described how the highlight and shadow buttons work correctly.
The highlight button is used if you spot onto a bright highlight like snow for example - it will essentially tell the sensor to over expose by 2 stops so the snow doesn’t turn out grey, and inversely for the shadow button, if you spot on something like a black cats fur, it will underexpose it by a stop and a half so the fur turns out black.
I've been seing most of your videos and I think these were the best pictures you've taken with the cameras presented so far. Congrats!
Thank you so much for this review. It is really intresting and the pictures youre taken turned out pretty well..by the way. Danke und einen guten Start ins neue Jahr!
I agree the beeping sound is annoying. It can be stopped by turning the self timer lever located on the front over to the left from the perspective of holding the camera, this turns off all the sounds. The camera metering is still very sensitive even compared to modern cameras the camera was able to accurately auto exposure in extremely low light with shutter speeds up to 2 minutes can any modern DSL's do that? Also the ttl metering continued while the shutter was open adjusting the expose on the fly while the picture was being taken! I would have liked to have seen some examples of the camera shooting slide film, which has an an exposure latitude of less than 0.5 of a stop this as I understand it was one of the primary reasons for the implementation incredible accurate and sophisticated metering system.
Great review, as always. I really love my OM-4T and OM-3T cameras. I have a 50mm f/1.2 and a 55mm f/1.2. I’m still trying them out though.
Your comments are great, they revial the essence,in dept details,the historical surrounding evolution spiral, Your style is simply superb.
Please, revial the Nikon FM3A, this is the poetry of the manual semi-professional cameras. In my modest opinion, a camera, which Nikon built at least late by good 15 years. Non the least, that was the swang song of the great era of the manually controlled, non autofocus cameras.
Greetings.
2 questions, if you'd indulge me. Do you have different experiences in scanquality (own vs pro), and what music is used in this video?
I have this camera. I'm a rangefinder guy because I'm more comfortable using it for street photography. But I just miss how engaging SLR's can be so I bought an OM4ti for other photographs I do aside street photography. haha what a complex life..
Haha, thanks for your nice comment. We really appreciate it. I (Max) also prefer using rangefinders for street photography. But for portraits I generally prefer SLRs. :)
Another inspirational video, guys. Excellent.
sweepdog105 Thanks a lot! 🙏🏻
Lea is really beautiful model...and your video,like always,perfect.
Danijel Grahovac Thanks so much for your kind feedback. Really appreciate it! :)
The sound of the camera could be canceled. You forgot the 50mm f3,5 macro. I have the 50mm f1,8 / f1,4 / and f3,5 and it is the lens that I use the most, that of being able to approach the object less than 20 cms ......And you can adapt these in a digital ,having good ,small and cheap lenses
Wonderful videos and reviews.
Thank you very much Max.
You do such a great job describing cameras and always have very professional videos. I constantly find myself looking forward to watching. Thanks for the great content! 😊👍🏻
(Also super jealous that the places you shoot are just mind blowing beautiful ) 😂
Thank you so much for your kind feedback. I really appreciate it. Makes me happy to read this. :)
I bought a 4Ti last year when I returned to film. I remembered it’s launch when I was using a Pentax ME Super, also criticised for its buttons on the top plate. As has been said earlier, you just switch the sound off under the self timer. Regarding the “complexity” of the spot metering system, I wonder how many operations there are on your digital SLR to achieve the same effect? Enjoyed the review though.
Hi Max
Another great video! Well produced and well presented. There was a point you made that I didn't understand- you mentioned in Salzburg you were using f/1,4 at 1/90sec , as there wasn't a lot of available light. How did you manage to shoot with the 135?
matteovrizzi Thanks for your comment and good spot. ;)
I was referring to the darker situation near the wall in the very beginning. Later that morning it got lighter and I could shoot the 135mm easily but also mostly wide open. Hope this helps.
@@AnalogInsights Of course, makes sense. Really enjoy the channel. The quality content and the great photography from yourself, Jules and Greg. Your Fuji Acros work on this video was superb, very well suited to the subject.
Are you a professional portrait photographer or is it rather a hobby/passion?
matteovrizzi Thanks, glad to hear that. No, I only photograph semi-professionally. My primary job is something else.
Great video of a gorgeous camera. The metering system is unique. I remember that my digital EOS 1D Mk.2 also had multispot metering and I loved using it. Just one small comment about AF. Olympus DID manage to make AF cameras with the OM mount: The OM-30 was a very basic effort with only one special AF lens, similar to some other offerings like the Nikon F3 AF. And then the OM-707 was a fully-spec'd AF camera. Sadly they made some peculiar mistakes not uncommon to other first-generation AF systems and totally gave up after just this one body. But, yes, OM could have been an AF system as well if Olympus would have persisted!
Really beautiful portraits from Lea in Salzburg. Which pixelpeeping Digital Camera of today should create such atmospheric B&W pictures (21:43-22:07) like the OM 4 TI? Even the Leica Q2 Monochrom or Leica M Monochrom would fail.
Great review guys! I think you are putting out some of the highest quality content on youtube! I was looking for a SLR with aperture priority to complement my all-mechanical Leica M2 and was torn between this camera and Nikon's FM3a. I ultimately decided to go with the Nikon because I am familiar with the system and already have some Nikkor glass, but the OM-4 Ti does look like an amazing camera. I do wish the FM3a had spot metering
Thanks for your wonderful comment. This means a lot to us!
I'm a bit jealous of your Leica M2. It's such a beautiful and clean camera. I recently purchased a M3 and love it dearly. Unfortunately, I still don't have much experience with Nikon SLRs of the time. We'll probably take a closer look at these at some point, too. :)
Thank you very much for this in-depth review. I've recently been shooting with an OM-2 and the 28mm lens. I might have to obtain the 135mm now since the portraits had a really nice look to them. I also really enjoyed the images on Illford Delta shot by Jules and also on your portraits shot on Acros.
qnetx Thanks for your kind feedback. The OM-2 with a 28mm lens must have been a great combination as well. :)
Max and Jules, very informative and highly enjoyable video and audio work. Someone asked if the Olympus OM lenses were weatherproof, they do not appear to be weatherproof when compared to the later Fuji lenses where you can see the water seal on the mount. Zeiss Milvus lenses also have the water seal on the mount. Keep up the marvelous videos, and stay safe from Covid 19.
You didn't really talk about the two different exposure modes.
1: Manual exposure. You have to set the shutter speed and aperture manually.
2: Aperture Preferred Auto-Exposure. You set the lens aperture and the camera automatically uses stepless shutter speeds to expose the film.
spot metering can be used in both modes.
Hi Max, I usually watch many of your videos and I like them a lot. Recently I saw the video about the Olympus OM-1 and I loved it for a while that the idea of acquiring an OM camera was maturing and I could not decide between the OM-1 and the OM-2. Finally I bought the OM-1n despite the inconvenience of having to solve the battery problem because the rule of 16 I still do not handle it very well. And now I continue with the reason to write this comment that I hope does not become too long and are thoughts that woke up when I saw in the presentation when you made the portrait that hung from your neck a light meter that contrasted a little with the fact of being using the most advanced camera in the OM series. At the moment where you describe the technical qualities of the light measurement system and the dynamic range control, I couldn't help thinking that you could have taken exactly the same photos with the om-1 using the same lenses and the same film. Of course the same degree of creativity could have been acquired with all the cameras that you have presented to date. What made me remember that a camera is a tool and that it is used not only by creatives in an artistic way but by many others in a more technical way. The technical sophistication as a means of control of the OM-4Ti has been far exceeded by today's digital cameras and many other analog cameras after it, which leaves us with the group of creators and collectors as the most likely interested in this and many other cameras of the time and perhaps those affected by GAS The name "Analog Insights" describes your blog very well but I would love maybe that in the moments of photography you and your partner could show creative ways that take advantage of those unique characteristics that each camera has, its soul in some way. It is not a criticism of yours work that is excellent only a suggestion to vary the photographic round that after watching some videos become a bit of the same. Thank you very much for your videos.
I really enjoy your reviews. They are very informative and entertaining.
Thanks so much, glad to hear that.
What a pleasant, highly informative video! Thanks you!!
wonderful video watched the entire thing looks like an interesting camera and that 135mm is somthing else
Murphys Film Thanks so much for your kind comment. Really appreciate it. :)
Hi thanks for the video, Your portraits are Exelent Hats off
If I’m not mistaken that crash test was originally done by a Dutch magazine called Camera beurs, they also ‘tested’ the Leica R6 and the Contax RTS3
What film did you use for the portrait shots? Was it Acros 100 for all the portraits?
Great camera and great review!
Thanks. :)
Bloody marvellous. Superb vid. Thank you so very much.
Hi all very interesting model indeed. Is there a difference between the TI version and the non Ti except the material ?
I know this is an old video. And you have lots of other great videos on your channel that i enjoyed watching for a long while. But this one was timely since i just acquired my first OM camera. Been shooting with Nikon, Leica and pentax and other brands for a long while but have actually never owned any OM cameras. I have the Olympus RD which you have also reviewed earlier and know the Zuiko lenses can create some great images.
So my first OM happened to be the OM-4Ti :) Its arriving this week with the 28mm f2,8. Now im looking for some other great lenses for the OM. I now of the 40mm f2,0 and the 100mm F2,0 of course, but besides though quite pricey Zuiko lenses do you have any other great lenses to recommend. Im mostly a prime shooter.
Would be nice with a 50 and maybe 85 or so to compliment my 28 :)
Otherwise, great video, loved the content and the music as well as your portraits were also great! :) Well done.
/Martin.
Hi Martin, thank you for your comment. I briefly reached out to Jules and he recommended (from a user not collector perspective) the 55mm f/1.2 , the 24mm f/2 and the 21mm f/3.5. On the other end of the spectrum, he recommended to go for the f/2.8 versions instead of the often expensive f/2 versions (often heavily sought after by collectors) and go for the 100mm f/2.8, 135mm f/2.8 and 300mm f/4.5. The only lens to avoid in the OM system is the 180mm f/2.8 which doesn't shine from an optical perspective. I hope this helps. All the best, Max
@@AnalogInsights Hi Max and thank you for your quick reply :) Yes i noticed they had a 40mm f2 and another F2 for like 1800 EU and understood quite fast that they were not going to be in my sights hehe. I do usually try and go for the better lenses and especially i think it can be worth a little more money for unique character lenses like the Takumar 50mm f1,4 8 element you also had a video about on your channel for pentax, but the money for that is within the limit for what i can afford to pay, some of these Zuiko lenses i have seen are just inanely expensive( like nikkor Noct! ).
I can see there is an "Auto-T" 100mm f2,8 out very cheap like 100 EU , and also a 21mm f3,5 like you suggested but with some small scratches on the front element for 210 EU. So might try and get one or two of them then :) The 135mm you used in your video seemed very cool too, really liked the picture you got out of it.
will also look for the 55mm and 24 you mentioned( none around as we speak but at least i know what to look out for now).
Thank you so much for your input, have a great xmas and happy new year in advance Max :)
/regards Martin.
@@AnalogInsights Just a fun update about the acquisition of Zuiko lenses after this post. I now have a little kit based around what you suggested :) Got the 28mm f2,8 ( on the camera i bought ), the 50mm f3,5 Macro, the 55mm f1,2 and finally the 100mm f2,8. Feels like a great start or will be happy with those and maybe in future if i have luck and run into the 85mm f2 or similar maybe i have the funds for one of those as well hehe. thank you for you input Max and Jules :) regards Martin.
Hi Max! I see that you are using eyecup for Om-4Ti. Is this original OM eyecup or from some another system?
Really enjoyed this, very informative and nice style!
Thanks a lot for your kind words. This motivates us to keep going. :)
Nostalgia !!! Shot with the OM 4 (non Ti) for a few years. It had the battery drain problem but the workaround was to set shutter dial to B or 60 (mechanical). Other than that a great cam !
OM 4 with Fuji Velvia 50 and Provia 100F. Shot many a trip with those. Lens was Zuiko 35-80/2.8, a fabulous lens in its day
I have an OM-4 with the battery-drain problem. Regrettably, setting the shutter speed to B or mechanical 6o did not solve this issue, the battery still drained too quickly.